US ready to work with new Ecuador leaderUS ready to work with new Ecuador leader
29-Nov-06
THE United States said last Monday it was ``ready to work'' with a new Ecuadoran government led by Rafael Correa, who is set to become the latest in a string of left-wing politicians to take power in Latin America.
But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that bilateral relations would ultimately depend on whether Correa's policies are ``consonant'' with US goals for the region.
Correa, a friend of Venezuela's anti-US president, Hugo Chavez, was projected to win Sunday's presidential election in Ecuador by a big margin over his wealthy conservative rival, Alvaro Noboa.
In his first statements after claiming victory, Correa said he would seek stronger ties with Venezuela, reiterated his opposition to a free trade deal with the United States and insisted he would not renew the lease for a US military air base on Ecuador's Pacific Coast.
Pending certification of the election results, McCormack declined to comment directly on Correa's victory, though he congratulated the Ecuadoran people for ``a pretty transparent, free and fair electoral process ``.
``In terms of the next Ecuadoran government, we're ready to work with them,'' he said.
But the spokesman went on to say that the ``course of any bilateral relationship the United States will have will be dependent on the policies that the government pursues and whether or not those policies are consonant with our goals ``.
``We are open to working with duly elected governments in the region that govern democratically, regardless of where they come from along the political spectrum,'' he said.
McCormack listed US policy goals in the region as the promotion of democracy, free trade and good governance.
He went on to cite the example of Bolivia, where another Chavez ally, Evo Morales, was elected president in 2005 but softened his tone regarding the United States once in office.
``While don't agree on everything, we have found ways to work together with Bolivia,'' McCormack said.
During his election campaign, Correa stirred unease in financial markets with calls to revise foreign oil companies' contracts in Ecuador, renegotiate foreign debt and expel the World Bank representative.
Asked to comment on a possible program of nationalisations of Ecuador's resources under Correa, McCormack said: ``We would expect that all countries regardless of where they come from in their political orientation would respect valid international legal contracts ``. AFP
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